Word@Work Luke356 - Luke 24:25-27
Published: Fri, 05/13/11
Word@Work from BeaconLight
THE HEART OF FOOLISHNESS
Luke 24:25-27 He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. (NIV)
Foolishness is common. The word for 'fool' in English is derived from the Latin for 'windbag' (contemporary English might use 'airhead'!), and the Greek word used here simply means 'without understanding'. Although many people like to invent and share their own ideas, if they do not understand the truth then whatever they think and say is empty, useless and confusing to others.
Jesus described the two people, walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the day of His resurrection, as foolish. They were worried and upset about the death of Jesus, and confused about reports of an empty tomb. But they did not understand what had happened: here are four reasons. Firstly, it was outside their experience; they could not understand it by reference to anything they had already seen. Secondly, they did not fully know who Jesus was, assuming that He had no more power over the grave than any other person (even though they knew He had brought dead people back to life). Thirdly, they did not believe the Old Testament Scriptures which described His death and resurrection. Fourthly, they did not believe His accurate and detailed predictions of His sufferings and rising again.
Their foolish ideas were simply the best solution they could invent to explain the circumstances. Without understanding who Jesus was, why He chose the cross and how He could rise again, they had no way of making sense of it all. Foolish thoughts and words were inevitable. So Jesus told them about Himself by using the Old Testament Scriptures. He was not just a man, but also the Son of God. He was not a victim of cruel people, but chose to be God's sacrifice for the sins of all people. He was not a national liberator, but the Saviour of everybody in the world.
Many of our friends and colleagues are confused about Jesus. They do not know His identity, His purpose on earth or how to relate with Him. And there is no way to gain that understanding unless God reveals it to them. In the same way that Jesus used the Bible to help the two walkers understand, we have the same resource for helping people understand Jesus. The Bible continues to be the only and indispensible source of knowledge about God. Read it, memorise it, meditate on it, pray about what it says, accept it's truth, obey what it says, trust it's promises, rejoice in the security it reveals ... and share it with others because God has put His truth there. Don't just pray for your friends or show them the best bits of your life - open up the Scriptures to them, and let God speak into their confusion straight from His Word!
Prayer: Ever loving God. Thank You that You do not leave the world in ignorance about Jesus, but You have revealed Him in the Bible. Please help me to invest more time and effort in reading Your Word and in explaining it to others. Help me to be proactive in thinking how I can bring Your Word to bear on the issues which my friends are wrestling with, and in showing them who Jesus is so that they might come to know Him. In His Name. Amen.
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You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
Foolishness is common. The word for 'fool' in English is derived from the Latin for 'windbag' (contemporary English might use 'airhead'!), and the Greek word used here simply means 'without understanding'. Although many people like to invent and share their own ideas, if they do not understand the truth then whatever they think and say is empty, useless and confusing to others.
Jesus described the two people, walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the day of His resurrection, as foolish. They were worried and upset about the death of Jesus, and confused about reports of an empty tomb. But they did not understand what had happened: here are four reasons. Firstly, it was outside their experience; they could not understand it by reference to anything they had already seen. Secondly, they did not fully know who Jesus was, assuming that He had no more power over the grave than any other person (even though they knew He had brought dead people back to life). Thirdly, they did not believe the Old Testament Scriptures which described His death and resurrection. Fourthly, they did not believe His accurate and detailed predictions of His sufferings and rising again.
Their foolish ideas were simply the best solution they could invent to explain the circumstances. Without understanding who Jesus was, why He chose the cross and how He could rise again, they had no way of making sense of it all. Foolish thoughts and words were inevitable. So Jesus told them about Himself by using the Old Testament Scriptures. He was not just a man, but also the Son of God. He was not a victim of cruel people, but chose to be God's sacrifice for the sins of all people. He was not a national liberator, but the Saviour of everybody in the world.
Many of our friends and colleagues are confused about Jesus. They do not know His identity, His purpose on earth or how to relate with Him. And there is no way to gain that understanding unless God reveals it to them. In the same way that Jesus used the Bible to help the two walkers understand, we have the same resource for helping people understand Jesus. The Bible continues to be the only and indispensible source of knowledge about God. Read it, memorise it, meditate on it, pray about what it says, accept it's truth, obey what it says, trust it's promises, rejoice in the security it reveals ... and share it with others because God has put His truth there. Don't just pray for your friends or show them the best bits of your life - open up the Scriptures to them, and let God speak into their confusion straight from His Word!
Prayer: Ever loving God. Thank You that You do not leave the world in ignorance about Jesus, but You have revealed Him in the Bible. Please help me to invest more time and effort in reading Your Word and in explaining it to others. Help me to be proactive in thinking how I can bring Your Word to bear on the issues which my friends are wrestling with, and in showing them who Jesus is so that they might come to know Him. In His Name. Amen.
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